Censorship Reforms 1858-70

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  • Censorship Reforms 1858-70
    • Causes of the reforms
      • The reform that was occurring in the universities was a relaxation f censorship laws after the reign of Nicholas I
      • 1855-56 saw the rise of th intelligentsia of mixed social origin.
      • There was a wider range of opinions expressed in different newspapers
        • The Contemporary was a newspaper that focused on social and political questions that were answer form a populist or socialist view
        • 'The Russian Word' was a paper led by Pisarev, and supported a philosophy that would become known a nihilist.
      • In 1855 there were about 140 newspapers of which about 60 were published by gov. departments
        • 60 dealt with specialist academic studies
        • 20 discussed current affairs, but were closely monitored.
      • The  Minister of War's 'Russkii Invalid' newspaper was the most reliable way of receiving info about the Polish rebellion of 1863
    • Before the reforms
      • Under Nicholas I, there was censorship on the press, all books and newspapers.
      • This policy was initially relaxed by Alexander II
      • Restrictions on publishers were reduced, foreign publications were permitted (with gov. approval), and press could comment on gov. policy.
      • This led to a short-lived growth in the number off books, journals and newspapers on sale
      • However, the growing number of critical writing on the gov, and the assassination attempts on Alex II caused a re-tightening of censorship in the 1870s
    • The new Press Regulations of 1863-65
      • Alex II often ignored the censorship laws that were theoretically still in place
        • The press particularly attacked factors that had caused a lot of incompetence during the Crimean War e.g. supplies, corruption
      • By 1863, censorship has transferred from Golovin, Minister of Education; to Valuev, Minister of Foreign Affairs
      • In April 1865, new press regulations were implemented; during the reign of Nic I, a publication would need approval form several different offices before it could be published
        • Censorship would now be applied after publication - it was down to the publishers to police the work they published.
          • There would be warnings issued, fines and the withdrawal of advertising if the rules we're not followed.
          • 3 warnings meant that the newspaper or publisher would be closed down for 6 months.
          • Within 2 weeks one newspaper received a warning for discussing Russia's finances.
          • Between 1865-80, 177 warnings were issued, and 52 newspapers were shut down
      • However, as censorship now took place after publication, it enabled other newspapers to take up the mantle and start discussing the same topic which got the previous journal banned.
      • Bans were implemented on certain topics by the Minister of Internal Affairs, however the ban was often too late as politically daring newspapers often sold out before censorship could be applied
    • The impact of the New Press
      • Newspapers and the relaxing of censorship were particularly important due to the Russian Empire being so vast - newspapers were thinly way to get a message across the country.
        • This established a political network across Russia
      • Not all newspapers presented a united radical front. Conservative publishers printed works by Leo Tolstoy, whilst many radical writers criticised each other.
        • However, these debates drew in many new thinkers and some became revolutionist
      • Overall result of reforms:
        • A bigger political awareness
        • These reforms helped to reinforce the impacts of other reforms
        • As society became more literate - 55-60% literacy in St. Petersburg and 40% in Moscow, newspapers became a more important source of information
        • New printing technology and distribution via railway allowed ideas to spread.
        • People thought that Russia's social problems could be solved as a collective, rather than by individuals; the reforms allowed these ideas to spread further.

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